Top 10 Reasons Why Being a Guidance Counsellor is the Best Job Ever!
by Stephanie Miller, Rachelle Doucet, Andrea Fraser, Erich Kohler
1. Rewarding
Guidance Counsellors provide personal and career counselling to youth, adults, and families. We support students in many different capacities. We counsel our teachers and other staff on how best to support the students. We also counsel the students’ families and loved ones on how to help and
support them. We make referrals to other professionals and connect students to community resources as needed.
2. Part of a Guidance Family
We are a small professional group that support each other on a regular basis and we have a lot of fun together!. We meet monthly to connect on topics relevant to our profession and identify best practices. We regularly invite Guest Speakers and Community Organizations to our team meetings to learn about various options to support our students and Schools.
3. Part of a great School Team!
We get to connect with so many amazing professionals in our schools that also support students! We work in collaboration with our Resource Department, School Nurse, School Psychologist and many other amazing professionals. We are often the “front-line” worker in the school that helps identify what needs or support is warranted. Therefore, depending on our student’s presenting issue, we can connect them to the right professional, if it’s not us of course!
4. Help Others to Achieve Their Goals
Academically, personally and for post-secondary planning.
5. Diverse
Guidance Counsellors wear many hats! (Counsellor, mediator, consultant, case manager, guest speaker, advocates, crisis intervention worker…). We are always kept on our toes!
6. Interesting
Never a dull moment being a Guidance Counsellor, no 2 days are the same. You name it, we’ve heard it (and we have heard A LOT!)
7. Inspiring
We get to know our students and families in various intimate ways and watch them grow over the years. We get to hear their stories, witness such transformation, and milestone moments!
8. Evolution
We are always learning in this job, nearly endless opportunities for professional development. We are constantly encouraged to learn something new or to refresh our memory on certain topics. We are grateful that we can be lifelong learners and use our skill set to make a deep impact on our students’ lives.
9. Resourceful
As Guidance Counsellors, we have a pamphlet for EVERYTHING (just ask our students). You name it, we have it! We are knowledgeable about so many resources local to our school communities and are deeply devoted to making sure our school is supported. We help bring in Guest speakers to talk to our staff and students about important topics and we present on important topics ourselves regarding important issues affecting our school communities.
10. Fun!
We get to help out and participate in fun activities within the school and the school board (Career Fair, Convocation, sports event, grad activities, school plays, first day of school, etc.).
